Photo by Davin Tarr.
Drink of the Week: Wine flights
Where: Cork, Flight, Veritas, Vinoteca
In the last few years, Americans have started trading in their beers for wine. Blame Trader Joe’s and their Two Buck Chuck or the Pinot Noir-obsessed nerds from Sideways. Either way, the U.S. is now the world’s largest consumer of fermented grape juice. Since America loves to be number one, consider getting your patriotic drink on with a wine flight.
Wine can be intimidating, because there’s just so gosh darn much of it. If you’re a casual dabbler in the grape arts, it’s overwhelming when a restaurant has a gigantic tome for a wine list. And while some places have a sommelier on hand to make recommendations, wine flights are a fun way to explore on your own. Flights — a selection of three or more wines served in small tasting portions — are a lower pressure and lower cost way to imbibe. You might find a new wine that you love, and there’s no need to choke down an entire glass of something you don’t like.
A handful of D.C. wine bars offer flights. Dupont Circle’s Veritas (2031 Florida Avenue NW) has the competition beat with nearly 20 different flights divided by type and country of origin. You’ll also find flights on the menu at Vinoteca (1940 11th Street NW), and at the aptly-named Flight (777 6th Street NW). For more variety, check out the chalkboard specials at Cork (1740 14th Street NW), which feature rotating flights of boutique wines. Stop in this weekend for their March Madness Sweet Sixteen special when all flights will be $16 at the bar.
Small Bites
Rooftop menu revamp
Come April, DNV Rooftop Lounge, perched above the Donovan House Hotel (1155 14th Street NW), will be serving up a new menu of Asian inspired food and drinks. Chef Jennifer Nguyen, of Zentan, will be featuring an array of Asian tacos, inspired by her time in Austin. The rooftop hotspot has brought in Jon Harris, bar manager at Firefly, to helm the bar program, and his line-up of complementary “Asian street drink” inspired cocktails will feature bubble tea infusions, Japanese highballs, and a Pimm’s Cup with salty lemonade. — Ashley Wetzel
Taste of the Nation to support No Kid Hungry Campaign
Tickets are on sale now for D.C.’s premier culinary event for a cause, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation. Tickets range from $120 to $225 for general admission, VIP and VIP Plus access to the March 31st event at the National Building Museum. Enjoy bites from over 70 participating restaurants and top shelf cocktails from DC’s best mixologists, all while supporting a very worthwhile cause. Beneficiaries of the event are Capital Area Food Bank, DC Hunger Solutions, and Mary’s Center. — Ashley Wetzel
Wine and cheese pairings are so cliché
While you may have visited Palena (3529 Connecticut Avenue NW) in Cleveland Park for some authentic Italian cuisine or stopped over at the Café for a more casual bite, Chef Frank Ruta is giving you a different reason to take advantage of the new, longer hours of Palena Restaurant’s Coffee Shop. Now open until 10 p.m., the Coffee Shop offers a wine pairing program alongside it’s made fresh, in-house desserts. Sample Moscato, Spanish sherry, Riesling and other sweet wines and ask the staff for wine recommendations based on your dessert choices (or more likely dessert recommendations based on your wine choices). — Ashley Wetzel
Last minute Sunday brunch plans
City Tap House (901 9th Street NW), near the highly anticipated City Center, is hosting their first Brau Brunch this Sunday, March 30th from 11 – 3pm. The kitchen will be preparing its a la carte brunch, new menu courtesy of Culinary Director Brian Cooke, as well as a Sunday Special Half-Smoke served with house-made kraut, DC Brau Pauncy Stout mustard and hand-cut kettle chips ($10). DC Brau pairings will feature Solar Abyss, The Public, Penn Quarter Porter, Nantas (a collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal), Brainless Corruption (a collaboration with Epic) and Yonder Cities Farmhouse IPA. — Ashley Wetzel
Dog nights of summer
On April 3rd, Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Alexandria and Jackson 20 (480 King St, Alexandria, Va.) will kick off their famous summer Doggie Happy Hour in the brick-lined restaurant courtyard. Two and four-legged creatures can imbibe every Thursday during the season, but 15 percent of the proceeds from the initial happy hour will go to benefit P.A.L. Happy hour runs from 5 to 8 p.m., but be sure Sparky (and more importantly Sparky’s owner) follows the etiquette rules developed by the hotel and the City of Alexandria. — Ashley Wetzel
